"You'd have to have SUMPTHING--you couldn't be a show yourself!" "How do YOU know ?" This was but meandering while waiting for ideas, and evoked another yell.
"You think you could be a show all by yourself ?" demanded Penrod.
"How do YOU know I couldn't ?" Two white boys and two black boys shrieked their scorn of the boaster.
"I could, too!" Roderick raised his voice to a sudden howl, obtaining a hearing.
"Well, why don't you tell us how ?" "Well, _I_ know HOW, all right," said Roderick.

"If anybody asks you, you can just tell him I know HOW, all right." "Why, you can't DO anything," Sam began argumentatively.

"You talk about being a show all by yourself; what could you try to do?
Show us sumpthing you can do." "I didn't say I was going to DO anything," returned the badgered one, still evading.
"Well, then, how'd you BE a show ?" Penrod demanded.

"WE got a show here, even if Herman didn't point or Verman didn't talk.

Their father stabbed a man with a pitchfork, I guess, didn't he ?" "How do _I_ know ?" "Well, I guess he's in jail, ain't he ?" "Well, what if their father is in jail?
I didn't say he wasn't, did I ?" "Well, YOUR father ain't in jail, is he ?" "Well, I never said he was, did I ?" "Well, then," continued Penrod, "how could you be a----" He stopped abruptly, staring at Roderick, the birth of an idea plainly visible in his altered expression.